Waite Phillips

From MeritBadgeDotOrg

Waite Phillips (January 19, 1883–January 27, 1964) was an American oil pioneer, banker, and rancher who also developed office complexes. Phillips gave his 72-room mansion to the city of Tulsa, OK and 127,000 acres of his Philmont ranch in New Mexico to the Boy Scouts of America, together with his 23-story Philtower Building in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Philmont

Waite Phillips become interested in developing a ranch out of the old land grant in 1922. He eventually amassed more than 300,000 acres of mountains and plains in a ranch he named Philmont (derived from his name and the Spanish word for mountain, "monte").

The Philmont Ranch became a showplace. Immense herds of Hereford cows and Corriedale sheep grazed its pastures. Phillips built a large Spanish Mediterranean home for his family at the headquarters and named it the Villa Philmonte. He developed horse and hiking trails throughout the scenic backcountry along with elaborate fishing and hunting cabins for his family and friends.

Phillips realized that the cost for maintaining and developing the property could not and should not be derived entirely from camper fees. As an endowment he included in the gift